Phuket's Patong parking to go back to the public

[webfact]

Phuket's Patong parking to go back to the public
Prapaporn Jitmaneeyaphan


Ekkarat Plaiduang shows Gov Maitree the parking spaces.

PHUKET: -- The battle for parking space in Patong is expected to be sorted out within a year under a new initiative titled “Give the parking back to the people”.

For years it has been impossible to park on most of the main streets in Patong because all the parking spaces were claimed by taxis, tuk-tuks and bike or car rental businesses, who annexed all spaces and took a very dim view of anyone else trying to park in them.

Arguments, punch-ups, scratching or paintwork or deliberately punctured tyres were the penalties members of the public could expect for daring to use space “belonging” to these land-grabbing groups.

On Monday (November 18) a meeting at Kathu Police Station in Patong heard about plans to give the roads back to the people, starting with Thaweewong Rd, Patong’s beach road.

The side of the road away from the beach – currently one lone line of tuk-tuks, will become a no-parking zone with red-and-white stripes along the sidewalk, though there will be a couple of yellow-and-white zones for dropping off or picking up passengers.

On the seafront side, parking space between the Absolute Sea Pearl Resort [Prachanukroh Rd] and Soi Bangla, traditionally occupied by rows and rows of cars, jeeps and big bikes for rent, will be divided into seven blocks, of which only 30 per cent only will be set aside for parking rental vehicles, the remaining 70 per cent being reserved for public parking.

Vehicle rental companies will have to clear all the vehicles out at 6 pm every day.

At the meeting, officials also discussed whether they should collect money for parking to reduce problems such as people leaving their cars in spaces all day and night. Governor Maitree Inthusut suggested a parking fee of B20 for three hours.

Pol Col Chiraphat Pochanaphan, Superintendent of Kathu Police, told the meeting, “The project is going ahead because ordinary people, tourists and the media have complained that black taxi drivers and motorbike operators occupy the parking lots in Patong which ordinary people have the right to use.

“The Thai Government has set a target of B2 trillion in tourism revenue by 2015, and has made the Royal Thai Police responsible for making tourists confident that they will not be taken advantage of, and that they will get assistance and convenience.”

Col Chiraphat said that besides improving Patong’s image, reducing quarrel and damage to vehicles such as keying or puncturing tyres, the project will also improve traffic flow in the crowded town.

The project to give back parking spaces to everyone is being undertaken after a concerted campaign to get the usurpers onside. This appears to have been successful, but time will tell whether it works any better in the long run than other such attempts in the past, all of which ultimately fell by the wayside.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phukets-patong-parking-to-go-back-to-the-public-42920.php


-- Phuket News 2013-11-20

[fritzzz25]

They will need to station the police there to monitor the damage to these vehicles that will be inflicted by the tuk tuk drivers. Oh wait, the cops will be getting tea money from the tuk tuk drivers to be "tying their shoe" while the damage happens.

[Paangjang]

They will need to station the police there to monitor the damage to these vehicles that will be inflicted by the tuk tuk drivers. Oh wait, the cops will be getting tea money from the tuk tuk drivers to be "tying their shoe" while the damage happens.

It will come into effect i suppose but im sure it will never be policed. Just like the 100% helmet law or the mortorbike 1 passanger (pillian) law... Traffic laws are not enforced here. This is Thailand for gawd sake. It will never change...

[andreandre]

What happened to this plan from one week ago?...This guy ..Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan, remains confident that the beachfront parking problem will be resolved by New Year’s Eve.

Now the Gov saying it will happen within one year????

PHUKET: The chief of police in Phuket’s premier tourism town of Patong has been ordered to clear beach road parking spaces for tourists by December 31 – or face being transferred.

The news came after a video conference between Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kaewwatee and Police Region 8 Commander Panya Mamen yesterday.

“Lt Gen Panya ordered the superintendents of the Patong and the Karon Police to get rid of mafia taxi operations in their respective precincts,” Col Arun told the Phuket Gazette.

“He also ordered that the problem of tuk-tuks parking along the Patong beach road be resolved – so that parking spaces would be available for tourists by December 31.

“If the Patong superintendent cannot make this happen, a new superintendent will be appointed to take action,” Col Arun confirmed.

The man under the gun, Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan, remains confident that the beachfront parking problem will be resolved by New Year’s Eve.

Edited November 20, 2013 by andreandre

[steelepulse]

As an optimist, I see this plan succeeding..............

.

.

.

For a very short period of time.

[LivinginKata]

PHUKET: -- The battle for parking space in Patong is expected to be sorted out within a year under a new initiative titled Give the parking back to the people.

within a year - what happened to the end of the year, like in 6 weeks from now. All BS

[Paangjang]

PHUKET: -- The battle for parking space in Patong is expected to be sorted out within a year under a new initiative titled Give the parking back to the people.

within a year - what happened to the end of the year, like in 6 weeks from now. All BS

Why do the bother with the BS though? Why don't they just agree that it's too late for Phuket?

[eezergood]

PHUKET: -- The battle for parking space in Patong is expected to be sorted out within a year under a new initiative titled Give the parking back to the people.

within a year - what happened to the end of the year, like in 6 weeks from now. All BS

Why do the bother with the BS though? Why don't they just agree that it's too late for Phuket?

Its an ongoing pension fund, thats why!

[phuketjock]

Being ever the optomist I think the new year eve deadline is for the beach road and the

one year deadline refers to the remainder of Patong. But also being a realist I am sure

the various deadlines will be whenever the powers that be say they are.

I dream of the day I can park anywhere in Patong for B20 for three hours and return to

find my car in the same condition as I parked it.!!

[eezergood]

my arse

[pomchop]

Tow trucks used on a daily basis like other places WORLD WIDE would put an end to illegal parking in a matter of a few days....but of course that would require the police to actually enforce the parking laws...and why oh why would they want to do that? Maybe the answer is to start a tow truck MAFIA to fight the tuk tuk mafia.

[LivinginKata]

Tow trucks used on a daily basis like other places WORLD WIDE would put an end to illegal parking in a matter of a few days....but of course that would require the police to actually enforce the parking laws...and why oh why would they want to do that? Maybe the answer is to start a tow truck MAFIA to fight the tuk tuk mafia.

No tow driver would dream about towing a way a tuk tuk, unless he had an army escort.

[steelepulse]

Which perps are theye pointing at in the OP photo? The tuk tuks, rental guys, jet ski guys, or the offending tourists thinking they could park in a public spot?